Originally Posted by
argolfer
That's my gut reaction, too. But most people just aren't following this like we are. And to put it bluntly, the near-term alternative to the MAX flying (as in, the next 1-5 years) is skyrocketing prices and fewer flight options right at a time when the Asian market explodes. I don't think politics will play in too much. At this point, the only thing that matters is Boeing convincing authorities that this specific aircraft is safe. The rest of the fallout will have to wait.
We can look back on how the early DC-10 flaws affected the aircraft and McDonnell Douglas. While it bounced back later, it also existed in a time with less information available to fewer people. I don't think the MAX, with it's big typeface naming and ease of eliminating it from searches, has the same kind of buffer built in.
I expect Boeing to be a continuing business but without significant changes in the FAA's model of regulation (or actually doing any) the MAX may end up dragging down Boeing for a decade. They've been kicking the can down the road for so long and the issues with the 787 early on, as well as the hoped for but fizzled out 747-8 (so few passenger ac bought) the commercial aircraft side is going to need support from the rest of the business.
Southwest may need to look into buying some more 737-800/900s in the secondary market. Southwest has a great brand, much better than the legacies but I doubt they would accept the MAX impacting their plans.